Berkeley Heights Police Department will recieve four new vehicles after all

The Berkeley Heights Police Department will receive four new vehicles this year after wrangling over the proposed budget put the new fleet in jeopardy earlier this month.

At an April 24 Berkeley Heights Township Council meeting, officials announced the police department would receive $38,000 in emergency funding for fleet enhancement.

Councilman Bob Woodruff asked Police Chief Mike Mathis what the money would pay for, and Mathis said the money would be used to make the initial lease payments on four new police vehicles.

Officials initially discussed that the police department would receive no more than two new vehicles in 2012, and two vehicles in 2013, with options to spread the spending over a third year. The announcement on Tuesday rests what was a contentious debate between Mathis and the council.

The police department will purchase two patrol cars, one patrol SUV and a traffic SUV with the funds.